Wismar, Germany – A charming village untouched by time

This morning we arrived in Wismar, Germany which is located on the Baltic Sea. It is a small city of about 45,000 and we were last here with the Ship in 2016.

Wismar retains much of its charm and many reminders of its days as a member of the Hanseatic League and over more than 250 years of Swedish control (1648-1903).

It sustained limited bombing during WWII which preserved many of its brick buildings with gabled store fronts and half-timbered buildings.

Wismar was part of East Germany under Soviet Control until the Wall fell in 1989. Many of the buildings in the Old City (Altstadt) have been preserved.

The Hanseatic League was a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns. It dominated Baltic maritime trade along the coast of Northern Europe from the Baltic to the North Sea and inland during the Late Middle Ages. A Hanse, later spelled as Hansa, was the German word for a convoy, and this word was applied to bands of merchants traveling between the Hanseatic cities whether by land or by sea.

We decided to walk into town and just wander about since we had participated in a walking tour 6 years ago.  It is a charming village seemingly frozen in time.

We wandered by two gigantic churches, the St. Marien-Kirche…

…and the St. Nikolai-Kirche an immense gothic style church currently under renovation.

Where we were reminded just how old the city is.

The streets are all cobblestone and the city has a truly timeless feeling of old Germany.

We stopped at a café recommended by the local hospitality personnel. We sat at a lovely outdoor courtyard table and enjoyed the only choice on the menu….a strudel with cauliflower and feta cheese accompanied by a salad.

Next, we visited the Schabbell museum which housed an impressive detail of the history of Wismar. The museum traces the history of Wismar from its earliest beginnings during the Middle ages through WWII and the Soviet era.

It was lovely to take a leisurely stroll around the city just absorbing the feel of this cute little town.

Back to the Ship and a quiet afternoon and a dinner in our Marina restaurant.